October 15 (Sun): Arrival
Early on Sunday morning, we all arrived at the Haneda airport with plenty of time. However, the machines they used to help check travelers in were all very slow, so it took around twice as long to complete. It was all fine, though. We got through security and on the plane with no problem. Unfortunately, we missed the opportunity to explore the duty-free shops.
Throughout the flight, students were in good spirits and were excited about visiting the UK. This group probably slept the least of any group I’ve taken this year, and they were still full of excitement by the time we arrived. After immigration, we got into the two minibusses, and we were off to Cambridge. Students settled into their homestays, and the first day was over.
October 16 (Mon): First day
On the first day at Bell School, students basically arrived on time. Cambridge (and the UK), is famous for its endless road works, and the new ones outside Bell School affected some of the buses. But students were shown around the school and had a chance to get to know their teachers, Tarsila and Jade. To start, students played some games, relaxed, and shared their project plans.
This was followed by lunch, which everyone enjoyed. Then we all took a bus to the city centre. There, we did our usual walking challenge, where students had to find several landmarks in the area. The fastest team took about an hour – very good job. One team came back after nearly two hours, but was only half finished. They had some great photos, though.
Students all got back to their homestays safely that night, and overall it was a pleasant start to the week.
October 17 (Tue): Events
This was a busy day. In the morning, students had a lesson about British Food, then in the second lesson, they joined together in the lecture theatre for a food-tasting session. There were some of the usual classics, such as pork pies, Red Leicester cheese – and Marmite, of course. We then got a packed lunch and took a bus to Landmark International School. Our students shared some activities, such as Origami, Kamizumo, Kendama, Shodo, and others. Then the LIS students took us to a local field to practice some sports. If this wasn’t enough, we then went bowling! A busy and fulfilling day.
October 18th (Wed): Study and Halloween
Today started with a regular day at Bell School. Some students shared more about their personal project plans. In the afternoon, some students went shopping, but over half the students returned to Bell later in the afternoon to help decorate the school for Halloween.